Episode 5 of The Crowded Room kicks off with Danny's haunting narration of "joyous reminiscences," drawing us back to the time when Adam still breathed. Back then, they were mere third-graders, and their mother, Candy, single-handedly supported the family, juggling a job as a nurse and another as a bartender. Adam was soon to embark on a visit to his father's, leaving Danny behind, an ominous foreshadowing of Adam's impending fate. This, I suspect, sparked the initial fissures in Danny's psyche, hinting at a dissociative identity. However, let's delve deeper into the tale.
In Adam's absence, Danny faced relentless bullying at school. The principal wrote a note to Candy, but Danny, fearing solitude, withheld it. He begged Candy to accompany him to work that night, and after much coaxing, she relented. Danny was taken aback when they arrived at the bar, unaware that Candy doubled as a bartender. Mario, the owner, initially refused them entry, citing state laws prohibiting children in bars. But with a touch of cunning, the mother-son team won him over.
That night was a nightmare for Adam, as a group of Black patrons entered the bar. A biased racist questioned their presence, sparking a violent altercation. For Danny, it was a harrowing spectacle, the blood splattering against his face a stark reminder of horror. An adult Danny confesses to Rya that blood, throughout literature and art, has always been a harbinger of doom. What followed in his life after that fateful incident could not be mere coincidence. Desperate for a "savior," Marlin entered the scene. Back then, he was far from the cantankerous figure he later became, actually a pillar of support for children at a juvenile facility. As a senior counsellor, we witness him in action, engaging with Christopher, a young Black child admitted to the facility.
Danny recounted the story with vivid detail. Marlin had gracefully entered the bar, and Candy was immediately captivated by his charm. The two indulged in a night of libations and engaging conversation, until her shift came to an end. That was the night their love sparked. However, Danny's sentiments towards Marlin were complex. He had stumbled upon them sharing an intimate moment, their naked bodies intertwined, leaving him profoundly traumatized.
When Adam returned, Danny's heart leapt with joy, his confidence restored. But later, when the classroom emptied, Mr. Jones, his guidance counselor, approached him in an inappropriate manner, claiming that Danny needed a friend. The insinuation of his pedophilic nature was unmistakable, until Marlin intervened and collected Danny from school.
During the drive home, it dawned on Danny that Adam was merely a figment of his imagination. How could Marlin engage only with Danny and not acknowledge Adam's presence? How could he not even glance in his direction? Marlin probed Danny, inquiring if Jones had touched him, but Danny remained silent. Marlin then confessed his intention to propose to Candy, yet Danny's response was ambiguous.
Suddenly, they veered off the road, Marlin urging Danny to make a "pact" with him. He attempted to lead Danny into a barn, and Danny sensed Adam's presence, looming ominously behind him. To safeguard Adam, Danny reluctantly allowed Marlin to take his place.
Years later, as an adult, Danny recounted to Rya that Marlin continued to rape and physically abuse "Adam" even after marrying Candy. And it was through this abuse that Adam became Danny's silent savior, his guardian angel in the darkest of times.
